DreamPix: An Ogre Among Monsters
by SandwichesHinderProgress
Summary: This story takes place before Shrek and Monsters, Inc. Shrek the ogre is kidnapped from his swamp and taken into another world where monsters are paid to scare.
1. A Monster In An Ogre's Home

There once was an ogre named Shrek. He lived in a dirty swamp. Shrek was having an ordinary day. He used the toilet, bathed in the mud, and ate a cooked rat. At the end of this particular normal day, Shrek went to sleep in his bed as he always did. During the night, however, he heard the sound of a door opening.

"Who's there?" Shrek shouted into the darkness.

When he got out of bed, he discovered that his closet door was open. He did not bother to look inside because he heard footsteps coming from somewhere else around the house. He ran quickly into the kitchen.

"If you're looking for a snack, I don't think you'll like what I eat," Shrek said.

Shrek saw nobody in the kitchen. He wondered if the one who entered his home had gone outside. He went outside and took a look. Nobody.

"Where are you, you trespasser?" he asked.

He heard a noise coming from inside the house. Shrek hid inside the outhouse. He looked through the hole in the door shaped like a crescent. He could see something coming out of the house.

"It's not human. That's for sure."

The purple lizard-like creature was slithering in the direction of the outhouse. It stopped when it stepped in the wet mud that Shrek had bathed in earlier.

"Crud," it said as it passed through and then wiped the mud off.

The creature was getting closer to the outhouse. Shrek stood on top of the toilet.

_I'll be able to jump on that thing when it opens this door._

The purple creature opened the door quicker than Shrek expected. The surprise caused Shrek to slip. Both of his feet ended up in the toilet water. He stepped out of the toilet and sprang at the purple creature.

"What are you and what are you doing in my swamp!" Shrek asked.

"I'm the best monster in the company!" it answered.

"Get out!" Shrek said.

He tried picking the monster up. It slithered from his hands. Shrek chased after it as it ran back into the house.

"I'm gonna get you, you monster!" Shrek shouted.

When he opened the door to his home, he did not see or hear anything at first.

"Maybe he went back to where it came from," he thought.

Shrek looked around and saw that the closet door was still open. Before he could look at what was through the door, a burlap sack was put over his head. The monster had been camouflaged, which is why he did not see him. Shrek struggled to break free as the monster tied his hands and feet with ropes.

"The name is Randall," the monster said before it pushed the ogre through the door.


	2. The Proposition

Shrek did not know where he was being taken to. Randall was pushing Shrek forward in some sort of building with a slippery floor. He wondered how they got to a building like this one so fast. He had lived in his swamp for years, and in all that time he never saw a building that was this close to his home. All of the stone castles were many miles away from his swamp. Shrek fell down a couple of times trying to escape. Randall managed to keep him in place. Shrek could hear another monster in the room pressing buttons. Then he heard the sound of machinery, a sound that he had never heard before. The monster that was pressing buttons followed.

"It's no use going back," Randall said. "The door is gone."

"How did we get here?" Shrek asked. "Was it some sort of magic?"

"Magic!" Randall laughed. "There's no such thing as magic! It was the work of science."

"You're a scientist?"

"Scare scientist, in a manner of speaking. I'm not one for the lame lab coats."

Randall took Shrek through a hall with carpeted floors. Within minutes, they were in a another room.

"Close the door, Fungus," Randall said.

"Ye-yes sir!" Fungus said nervously.

The door was closed. Randall sat Shrek down in a chair and took off the sack.

"Where the heck am I?" Shrek asked.

Before him was Randall, a three-eyed red monster he correctly assumed to be fungus, and a crab-like monster wearing a suit.

"Meet Mr. Waternoose," Randall said.

"What is your name, fellow monster?"

"Shrek. Now that we've had the pleasure of meeting each other, get me out of here!"

Fungus cowered behind Randall.

"How scary can you get?" Mr. Waternoose asked.

"You want scary, eh?" Shrek said right before giving them his best roar.

The roar blew Fungus away. Randall and Mr. Waternoose did their best to block away the tiny chunks of what may have been Shrek's dinner. Mr. Waternoose was both disgusted and impressed.

"My, my. I can see you going head to head with Sullivan. You may even give him a run for his money. You will do just fine working for us."

"Working for what?"

"Monsters, Incorporated. Or, if you would prefer, Monsters, Inc."

"What is that?"

"We are monsters who scare children from the human world in order to gain screams to power our city, Monstropolis."

"Just how far is this city from my swamp?"

"You don't seem to understand. Your world is an alternate version of our world. They are similar, but not exactly the same. In your world, the humans rule. In our world, there are no humans. Only monsters."

"What's with all this fancy stuff I've never seen before?"

"Get with the twenty-first century, old man," Randall said. "We made a door that would go back to the time where there were monsters in the human world."

"We tried getting Big Foot," Mr. Waternoose explained, "but he is so hard to get in touch with."

"We also found a monster in some freezing mountains, but he wasn't scary," Randall said. "He came off as annoying. He just kept on talking! Have you ever met anyone who talked so much about stuff you don't care about?"

"No," Shrek answered. "Not yet, anyway. I don't want to work for you guys."

"I have a proposition for you," Mr. Waternoose said. "If you work for us and make progress, we'll give you the door to your home. If you show resistance, however, we will send you through a door to a place where you'll be very miserable. It's your choice, Shrek."


	3. New Monster On The Scare Floor

Shrek had no choice but to accept Mr. Waternoose's offer. Waternoose, Randall, and Fungus brought Shrek to a room where other monsters were gathering. There were small ones wearing blue hats. It was the big monsters that surprised Shrek. He had gotten so used to living alone that he never even thought there there would be other monsters his size or bigger.

"Scare floor F," Waternoose explained. "You will be doing your work here."

"Why are all these monsters naked?" Shrek said.

"Some wear clothes, and some do not. I'm one of the ones who wears clothes. Try not to think about it too much. It will hurt your primitive mind. Randall, go to your station."

"Get me a door, Fungus," Randall said.

"Yes, sir. Right away sir."

Fungus went up to a counter and spoke to a clerk. She was a green, slug-like creature. She repulsed Shrek.

"She's not gonna be my toothpaste, is she?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Waternoose said. "Come on. Let me do the talking."

Shrek followed Mr. Waternoose up to the clerk's counter.

"Hello, Roz."

"Hello, Mr. Waternoose."

"I have brought a guest today who would like to work here for a bit."

"Has he been to Monsters University?"

"No. He's from another region where he was home-schooled into scaring. Isn't that right, Shrek?"

"Uh, yeah. My father taught me how to scare good. Almost ate me alive."

Waternoose laughed.

"A clever joke, Shrek."

"This is very unusual," Roz said. "So short notice. But I suppose he could work on this floor. Mr. Sanderson is out sick today."

"Wonderful," Waternoose said. "That he can work, that is. Not that George is sick."

"You will need these files," Roz said, handing them to Waternoose.

"Thank you," Waternoose said.

As they walked away, Mr. Waternoose picked up a blue hat.

"What am I supposed to do?" Shrek asked.

"You will be going into doors at that station. Once inside, you will scare the children, giving us power. Do not let the children touch you. I do not want the CDA all over the place."

"The what?"

"Not important. Just do your job."


	4. Door To Door

Shrek's eyes beheld the sight of about ten new monsters of different shapes and sizes. One looked like a pile of slime with spikes on it. Another had more eyes than Shrek could count in a second. There was even a monster with tentacles.

A blue furry monster approached Shrek. The ogre was not sure how to act. He was worried that he looked like he was not supposed to be there. If he did, the furry monster did not notice.

"You must be new here," he said.

"Uh, yeah," Shrek replied.

"Everyone calls me Sully. What's your name?"

"Shrek. And the only other people who have called me by my name before I came here are the ones who ran away screaming."

"Then you ought to be a natural here. Oh! It's about to start. Talk to you later."

A red monster wearing headphones counted down and gave the signal that the scaring was to begin.

A door was lowered in front of Shrek. He turned the knob and peaked inside. It appeared to be nighttime wherever he was. He saw a five-year-old boy lying in bed. It woke up and looked at him.

"What are you?" he asked.

"Uh... Rawr! I am an ogre!"

"AH!"

Shrek went back through the door, returning to Monsters, Inc. He shut the door.

"That was easy."

"It's not over yet," said Waternoose.

The door went up on a rail. A new one arrived in its place.

"Keep going," Waternoose commanded.

Shrek groaned and went through another door. There was a little girl of about four years of age.

"Ahem," Shrek said.

The girl rolled to the left side of her bed.

"Hello?" Shrek said.

The girl put a pillow over her head. Shrek crept closer to her. He got a hold of her shoulders and shook her.

"AH!"

The girl screamed as her head bobbed back and forth.

"That's more like it," Shrek said before returning to the monster world.

"Good work, Shrek," Waternoose said.

"She would not scream, so I had to shake her by the shoulders," Shrek explained.

"Silence!" Waternoose said. "Not another word about that!"

"What did he say?" a short, green, one-eyed monster asked.


	5. Sickness Scare

"Did he just say that he touched a human?"

"Quiet down, Michael," Waternoose said. "Lower your voice."

"Are you infected?" Mike whispered.

"Infected with what?" Shrek asked.

"Stay away from me. The touch of a human can be as deadly as... as... as, a giant fork machine thing."

"A giant fork machine thing?" Shrek repeated. "I have heard of giants, but a giant fork machine thing?"

"There is no such thing, Michael," Waternoose said. Get back to work."

"This is serious," Mike whispered. "We have to call in the CDA! Let's see. What was that code again? 2419? 2913? What was that code?"

"It was a figure of speech, Michael," Waternoose explained.

"A what?"

"A figure of speech."

"What is? The code?"

"No. What Shrek said. Have you never heard anybody say, 'shake by the shoulders'?"

"Uh, no."

"Well, it means to make someone so scared that their shoulders begin to shake."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Of course it makes sense. No need to get the CDA involved because it is not literal."

"Okay. Sorry Mr. Waternoose."

"I forgive you for your misunderstanding, Michael. Now, why don't you go back to your station and help Sully out with those canisters."

"Yeah, Mike," Sully said. "Pay attention."

"Right on it, sir," Mike said to Waternoose.

"Scare them good," Waternoose said to Sully.

"Will do, Mr. Waternoose," Sully replied.

Waternoose looked at Shrek.

"Never tell anyone that you have touched a human," he whispered.

"What's your deal? Something bite your behind?"

"Monsters are not supposed to touch humans. We believe that they can infect you with some contagious disease."

"Nothing bad seems to be happening to me."

Waternoose took a close inspection. Shrek appeared normal.

"That appears true. Either that or symptoms may appear later."

"I've punched humans before and never gotten some infection."

"Really? Interesting..."

Mr. Waternoose was in deep thought. Shrek waved his hands in front of his face.

"Are you all right?"

"What? Uh, get back to work."

"Fine. No need to get grumpy."

Shrek continued going through doors to scare children. By the end of the day he had almost as much scream energy as Randall, who almost had as much as Sully.


	6. Secret Project

"I am very impressed," Waternoose said.

"Does that mean you will take me home, now?" Shrek asked.

"I will have to ponder this for a bit."

"For a bit? What am I supposed to do until then? I'm starving?"

"Hey, Shrek," Sully said. "A few of us guys are having dinner at this great restaurant called Monsternald's. They have got fast food _and_ fancy food. You wanna come?"

"Yes. Why don't you join them, Shrek? After that you can meet me in my office for any questions. I'm working late."

"Fine."

Shrek joined the group of monsters and left with them. Randall looked at Fungus.

"Keep an eye on Shrek," Randall said. "And get me something to eat."

"Are you gonna give me the money?"

"Now!"

"Yes sir!"

As Fungus ran after the other monsters, Randall followed Mr. Waternoose to his office. Waternoose locked the door.

"Shrek's all right, but he didn't do better than me," Randall said. "Let's just toss him back into the swamp."

"The only reason you did better than him is that Wazowski interrupted his task. If he had not done that, Shrek would have surpassed you."

"What are you saying?"

"We should keep him for another day and see how he does tomorrow."

"What if Sanderson comes back?"

"Then we will fire one of the lesser monsters."

"And I thought I was cold."

"Shrek told me something interesting. He said that he has touched humans before and never gotten infected with anything."

"Your point?"

"Imagine a world in which we can harvest more energy than we could in a regular work day. In order to do that, we would need human children in our world."

"Are you saying that we should kidnap human kids and make them scream all day?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps we can invent some sort of machine that could take all the screams out of them. If all these doors, including Shrek's, could be made, why not that machine? Would you help me with this secret project, Randall?"

"I don't know. Seems like a really important job."

"Fine. You will have increased payment."

"How much?"

"Twenty percent."

"Make it thirty."

"Twenty-five. That is my final offer."

"Deal."

Randall and Waternoose shook on it.


	7. Monsternald's

Shrek and the other monsters entered Monsternald's. They sat around two round tables that were next to each other. A waiter arrived.

"Welcome to Monsternald's. May I take your order?"

"I would like the Big Monster Burger with medium flies and a Sweat Tea," Mike said.

"I would like the Monster Double with curly flies and a Dr. Slimer."

The waiter looked at Shrek. Shrek shifted his eyes.

"What would you like to have?"

"Uh, I'll have what he's having?"

"That's hilarious!" Mike said, cracking up.

The waiter took everyone else's orders and left.

"So where are you from, Shrek?" Sully asked.

"I bet he's from one of those jungles that you can only get to if you dig really deep," Mike said.

"Mike, don't be rude," Sully said. "I'm sure he's not from a jungle. Right?"

"Nope," Shrek answered. "Just a swamp."

"A swamp?" Mike said. "Does fungus grow there?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess you've met Fungus. Ha ha!"

"What?" Fungus said.

"He's just joking," Sully said. "So you did really well on the scare floor today."

"I guess I did, Shrek said.

"You will never get a higher score than us!" Mike said. "I'm on to you! You are trying to be the best monster at Monsters, Incorporated. Well guess what? That monster is and always will be my man Sully."

"I really am glad I don't have an annoying sidekick," Shrek said.

"Sidekick? I am his assistant."

"Whatever you say."

The food arrived and all began to eat.

"These sandwiches are really good," Shrek said. "I have never had anything like this."

"Really?" Sully asked.

"Yeah. All my life I have only eaten swamp food like slugs."

"Ew," Mike said.

"Be nice, Mike," Sully said. "Respect his culture."

"But you have to have eaten city food before," Mike said. "I mean, you have to have worked somewhere before in order for Mr. Waternoose to have heard of you."

"Okay..." Shrek said. "Mm. Good food. What are you looking at, Fungus?"

"Me? I'm not looking at anything. Certainly not spying. Just eating my food here."

"Can you bring me to Mr. Waternoose when we finish eating? I need to ask him something."

"Sure. I'll finish eating as soon as possible."

"You don't have to do that."

"Believe me, I do. Randall's got all this food he wants me to bring him."

"Your life must really stink worse than my swamp."

"You have no idea."


	8. A Lousy Deal

Fungus brought Shrek to Mr. Waternoose and Randall, who were in a room full of doors. Fungus carried a bag of food that Randall desired.

"Did you bring it?" Randall asked.

"Yes, sir," Fungus said. "The ogre is right here."

"No! I mean the food you idiot!"

"Uh, right here, sir!"

Fungus handed the bag to Randall.

"So what have you decided?" Shrek asked.

"We have decied that we want you to work for us for another day," Waternoose said.

"You have got to be kidding me! I have a home to get back to. With me gone, it may be inhabited by weird creatures like dwarfs or something!"

"What's a dwarf?" Fungus asked.

"They are about as short as you and have beards," Shrek answered.

"What's a beard?"

"Something _you_ don't have and never will."

"Stop asking stupid questions!" Randall yelled.

"Sorry!" Fungus said.

"I have done everything you said!" Shrek said. "This was not part of the deal!"

"Welcome to industry."

"Industry my a-"

"Be careful what you say, Shrek. You wouldn't want to be punished."

"I'm not scared of you. How did you become in charge of this company anyway? You probably couldn't scare a baby if you tried!"

"Now you're really getting on my nerves."

"Get off of mine and I'll get off of yours!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you. I hope you change your mind by the time the next morning arrives. You will have time to think."

He pressed a button that made a metal door appear. Fungus opened it. Shrek looked inside an saw snow. Randall pushed him through the door, and he started to feel cold.

The door was closed. Shrek opened it and saw nothing but more snow. It was not working. He was stuck.

"No! No! Get me out of this place! I don't belong here! Bring me back to my swamp!"

Shrek started to break down into tears at the thought of never seeing his swamp again. His tears started to turn to ice. He wiped his face.

"Pull yourself together, Shrek. He said you'll have time to think. And I will think of a plan to get home."

Shrek started to hear something walking towards him. He turned around and saw a tall monster with white fur.

"Welcome to the Himalayas!"


	9. The Abominable Snowman

"Who are you?" Shrek asked.

"They call me the Abominable Snowman, but I hate that name. Just call me Yeti. What is your name?"

"Shrek."

"What do they call you?"

"Monster."

"Yeah, humans are always giving us bad names. Is that why you were crying?"

"That wasn't crying. That was...snowing with style. I was making my own snow."

"Wow. Quite a talent. I make my own yellow snowcones."

He brought a tray of yellow snowcones out from behind his back. Shrek gave a disgusted look.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you made those. I've eaten things that humans believe are gross, but those things that you have there will not be eaten by me."

"You care what humans think of you?"

"No. I couldn't care less what humans think of me."

"Then what were you yelling about?"

"I was yelling because some monsters from another world dumped me in this place instead of dumping me in my dump of a home which I would have preferred."

"If you want, you can stay at my place. What do you say?"

"I say that you are annoying."

"I'm guessing that you want to freeze to death now that you won't be going home anymore."

"There is still a chance. They said the door will work in the morning. I will think of a way to get home."

"At least just spend the night in my cave. It's just one night."

Shrek sighed.

"I don't suppose there are any other places to stay in around here."

"There's a village down the mountain, but it's full of humans."

"I don't want them poking me with pitchforks while I try to sleep."

"Is that a yes?"

Shrek sighed once more.

"Yes. I will stay over in your cave for the night."

"Great! Let's get you settled in."

Shrek followed the Abominable Snowman up the mountain and into his cave.


	10. Loneliness

The Abominable Snowman set a blanket on the floor of his cave for Shrek to sleep on. The sight of a warm place to sleep warmed him up inside even before he covered himself with the blanket.

"Thanks," Shrek said.

"No problem. I do not get many visitors here."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"You know, if you want you can sleep outiside in the cold."

"No! I'm good. I love this blanket."

"I thought so."

"I'm gonna turn in."

"Already?"

"I've got to get up on time tomorrow."

"Are you leaving right away as soon as you wake up?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"If you want, I can wake up early and make breakfast for you."

"Do you ever stop talking! I can't get any sleep because you talk so much! I have never met anyone who talked so much!"

"Well what do you expect! You're the first visitor I've had in forever! Every single day I have nobody to talk to up here! I'm alone on this cold mountain! Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Shrek sighed. He could relate.

"Yes."

"Do you live alone on your swamp?"

"Yes. I like to scare people away from my swamp, but I wouldn't mind having another ogre in the house. Every night, I eat dinner all by myself. I have nobody to share it with. I have no friends. What do I even have to look forward to back home?"

"I can be your friend."

"Thanks."

"And I know that that swamp means so much to you. So in the morning, you're going to find your way home."

"You're not gonna let me stay here with you?"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Why not?"

"I don't know if there are any other people like me here, but there are ogres from wherever you are, if I understood correctly."

"The last time I saw some was when I ran away from my parents."

"You may meet more. It's not too late for you. I'm sure you can make friends over there. Goodnight."

"Thanks. For everything."

Shrek slept well that night. When he woke up, he shook hands with the Abominable Snowman and waved goodbye as he left the cave.

"Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Shrek!"

Shrek raced down the mountain and found the door that he had been thrust through. He opened it slowly, hoping that he would end up somewhere.


End file.
